Choosing to Refuse

Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. I Timothy 5:19 (New King James Version)

My opinion of another person needs to be based on truth. That is the reason God established the principal that accusations must be based and received on the basis of several eye witnesses. Whether it is within the walls of a church, a place of business, or ones home a spirit of accusation is alive and well and must be recognized and rebuked at all times.

I can think of three sources of false accusations that I must be acutely aware of and on guard against. They would be other people, Satan, and myself. It is imperative that I not allow the words of one person to sway my opinion about another person, especially when it puts the other person in a bad light. I would be wise to consider the fact that what they are saying may not even be true. Since we cannot see another person’s thoughts, heart, intentions, or motives, we have to be careful when someone claims to know such things. Often the things we are hearing are based more upon what someone else said to them, rather than on what was actually witnessed by them. Giving the accused the benefit of the doubt would go a long way.

Scripture refers to Satan as the “accuser of the brethren” and he takes his role seriously. He is a master at accusing us before God and one another. He loves to twist and distort things until someone stands in the worst possible light. Many have been the number of relationships ruined because of lies fed to us by the father of lies. We would be wise to ask God to reveal to us whether or not Satan is behind the spirit of accusation that runs rampant through our minds and our conversations.

While I must be careful not to receive accusations that come from people and Satan, I must be even more careful to question and reject the accusations that are birthed within my own mind from my own places of brokenness and sin. In times of personal disappointment my mind can readily think up many false accusations about another person and then proceed to dwell on them. I must be on my guard during the times I begin to read between the lines, misinterpret another’s words or actions, or draw wrong conclusions based on unmet needs. While there may be times my perception is right, there are many more times it is not.

When I find myself changing my opinion of another person based on one of these three sources, I must ask God to give me discernment as to whether or not I am hearing the truth. If I am uncertain, it would be best to reject the accusation rather than believe and receive it. May I be willing to give others the benefit of the doubt and guard their reputations in my mind.

Father, I cringe at the times I have too readily accepted a false accusation about You, another person, or even myself. Help me to walk in the light and hold to the truth every time. Amen.